Tigers punch ticket to Hershey
by: Dom Gliozzi
With a trip to Hershey on the line, the North Allegheny Tigers dominated Hollidaysburg in the first round of the PIAA 3A Girls’ Team Tournament with a 4-1 victory in Altoona, PA, Tuesday evening at the Gorilla House Gym. The Tigers exacted sweet revenge as they fell to Hollidaysburg in the same round last season in a 3-2 heartbreaker. This year’s performance by the Tigers left little room for doubt, as they marched out to a commanding 2-0 lead in early play. Freshman Winni Hayward showed why she is a PIAA Singles qualifier by beating Grace Muriceak at first singles without losing a game, 6-0, 6-0. Junior Mia Kaufman, who continued the intense pressure, defeated Emma Moritz at third singles, also by a 6-0, 6-0 margin. Sophomore Sammy Leeman suffered a setback at second singles in a very competitive match to Crosby Denis, but that only set the stage for outstanding doubles play with the Tigers still ahead 2-1.
Sophomore Ruoxi Bai and freshman Sophia Yu locked horns with Taylor Eardley and Rina Stiffler early in the first set but pulled away to take it 6-2. The second doubles team of senior Remi Hayward and junior Medha Thirumala also took a 6-2 first set against Olivia Panaro and Brooklyn Klingner. As doubles play captivated the audience and the match was still in the balance, Bai and Yu sped past their opponents 6-3 in the second set to claim the third team point and clinch the match for the Tigers. Wrapping the ribbon on the present, Hayward and Thirumala finished play decisively with a 6-3 decision in the second set to forge the final 4-1 team score.
The Lady of the Match honors go to the entire Tigers team who will carry an 18-2 mark into the PIAA 3A Team Quarterfinals against Downingtown East. The Tigers will play the Cougars on Friday, October 30, at 4PM at the Hershey Racquet Club. Downingtown East finished second in District 1 (Philadelphia suburbs) while North Allegheny finished third in District 7 (WPIAL). This will be the Tigers first appearance in Hershey in four seasons, when they tangled with Unionville in the quarterfinal round.
Girls Tennis Summary vs. Hollidaysburg, 10-27-26
| MATCH SUMMARY | NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4 HOLLIDAYSBURG - 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Singles | ||
| #1 | Winni Hayward (NA) def. Grace Muriceak (H) | 6-0, 6-0 |
| #2 | Crosby Denis (H) def. Sammy Leeman (NA) | 6-3, 6-3 |
| #3 | Mia Kaufman (NA) def. Emma Moritz (H) | 6-0, 6-0 |
| Doubles | ||
| #1 | Ruoxi Bai/Sophia Yu (NA) def. Taylor Eardley/Rina Stiffler (H) | 6-2, 6-3 |
| #2 | Remi Hayward/Medha Thirumala (NA) def. Olivia Panaro/Brooklyn Klingner (H) | 6-2, 6-3 |
